Safety matchbook holder



n- 1955 c. A. PERDREAUX, sR 2,700,455

SAFETY MATCHBOOK HOLDER Filed Feb. 2'7, 1955 M ah? I lNV-ENTOR 12/2 ATTORNEY-5 United States PatentiO SAFETY MATCHBOOK HOLDER Claude A. Perdreaux, Sr., New Canaan, Conn.

Application February 27, 1953, Serial No. 339,327

1 Claim. (Cl. 20633) This invention relates to a safety match book holder and has for an object to provide a simple, efiective, attractive and improved holder for a match book, Wh1ch Will protect the matches while being carried in the pocket, handbag or the like, and particularly Wlll protect the matches and prevent those in the book being lrghted when lighting a match, and prevent serious burns to the operator or igniting adjacent objects.

It is also an object to provide a device 1n which the matches are readily accessible at all times, and m WhlCh a match may be struck on the striking strip of the match book while the cover of this holder is closed.

Another object is to provide an improved means for holding the cover in the closed or any open posltion to which it may be operated, but at the same time to permrt easy swinging of the cover between the open and closed positions.

With the foregoing and other ob ects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It 1s, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement claimed, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front or top view of the holder w1th the cover in the closed position;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof looking from the right of Pi 1;

Fig. 3 is a front or top view with the cover open;

Fig. 4 is a side view looking from the right of F1g. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section substantlally on line 55 of Fig. 1 and on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 6 is a detail section substantially on line 66 of Pi 1.

This holder comprises a body member 10 including a back wall 11, side walls 12 extending forwardly at the opposite side edges of the back 11 and at right angles thereto, and opposite end walls 13 and 14 extending forwardly and then inwardly toward each other, as shown at 15 and 16 respectively. The inwardly extendlng walls 15 and 16 form front walls spaced from the back wall 11 and they are spaced from each other at their inner free edges forming an open front container for a match book 17 with the back, side and end walls. As shown in Fig. 5, the top or cover 18 of the match book may be folded back to lie on the outside or underside of the back portion 19 of the book to thus expose the matches 20, and then with the cover 21 of the contalner open this book, with its cover 18 folded back as indicated, may be inserted in the container with the opposite ends of this book under the inwardly extending front wa1ls 15 and 16. Thus these front walls or inwardly extending portions of the end walls overhang the opposite ends of the match book to retain it in the container. The overhanging wall 16, however, is not long or wide enough to overhang or cover the striking strip 22 of the match book.

The cover 21 of the holder comprises a front wall 23 and side walls 24 at its opposite edges overlapplng the side walls 12 of the container when the cover is in the closed position. The cover is also shorter than the container so that its free end edge 25 is spaced from the free edge of the wall 16 to form an open slot through which the striking strip is visible and is accessible for striking a match while the cover 21 is closed. The free end edge of the cover may also be bent backwardly and inwardly to form a flange 26 over the top of the match 2,700,455 Patented Jan. 25, 1955 book and backwardly of the free edge of the striking strip 22, as shown in Fig. 5, to help retain the match book in proper position in the container.

The cover 21 is pivotally hinged or connected to the body member or container 10. In the arrangement shown the side walls 12 of the body member are extended rearwardly to form pivot ears 27, and the side walls 24 of the cover are similarly extended to form pivot ears 28 overlapping the ears 27. A pivot pin 29 passes through the overlapping ears to pivotally connect them together, and also extends transversely between the pairs of overlapped ears. This pin may be a rod or tube. In the form shown it is a tube for lighter weight internally threaded at its opposite ends to receive the securing screws 30 with their heads on the outer sides of the ears 28 and a washer 31 under these heads. Means is provided to produce a friction between the overlapped pivot ears of the cover and body member. In the form shown a pair of short spacer tubes or sleeves 32 are mounted on the pin 29 at the inner sides of and engaging the ears 27, and on the pin 29 between these sleeves is a coil spring 33 compressed so that it tends to expand to press the outer ends of the sleeves 32 against the pivot ears and provide suflicient friction to retain the cover 21 in the closed position or in any open position to which it may be shifted, but leaving it sufficiently free so that it may be shifted by the operator to any position desired.

In use of this holder, after folding the cover 18 of the match book back behind or under the back 19 to expose the matches, and with the cover 21 of the container open, this book is inserted in the body member or container with its opposite ends under the overhanging front walls 15 and 16. The cover 21 may then be closed and the matches are properly covered and protected. They are, however, easily accessible for use by raising or opening the cover 21 at which time a match may be torn from the book. Then the cover 21 is closed, but as the striking strip is exposed through the slot between the end edge 25 of the cover and the wall 16 the match can be struck in the usual manner. However, the cover including the inturned flange 26 effectively protects the heads of the matches 20 in the book and shields them so there is no danger of their being ignited by a. spark from the match being lighted. This container also effectively protects the match book and matches from injury while being carried in a pocket, handbag or the like, aswell as protects them from being accidentally lighted while being so carried and shielding the user or adjacent articels from fire or injury.

It will be seen the holder is of very simple construcw tion, is attractive in apeparance and so is adapted for engraving or other ornamentation or identification, and in the less expensive forms could readily be supplied with advertising matter, either inside or outside.

lI laving thus set forth the nature of my invention, I c arm:

A safety match book holder consisting of a single body member and a single cover only hinged thereto, the body member including a back, side and opposite end walls, both of said end walls being extended forwardly from the back wall at the opposite ends thereof and then inwardly toward each other and both spaced forwardly from the back wall forming an open front container for a match book with the inwardly extending portions overhanging the opposite ends of the book when in the container to retain it in the container, the side walls being provided with rearwardly extending ears, the cover comprising a front wall and side walls overlapping the side walls of the body member and provided with rearwardly extending ears overlapping those of the body member, means pivotally connecting the overlapping ears to permit the cover to swing between a closed position over the open side of the container and an open position to expose the match book in the container, said pivot means comprising a hinge pin extending transversely through and between the ears, spacing sleeves on the pin engaging the inner ears and a coil spring on the pin between the sleeves tending to expand to hold said ears together forming friction means to hold the cover in open, closed or any intermediate position, and said cover being shorter than the container so that in its closed position its outer free: endis spaeed fromthe inner edge" of th'einwardly extending overhanging portion of the front wall at the opposite" end of the" body member from the pivot to expose the striking strip on the match book to permit striking a match thereon when the cover is closed.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Rosrnait Oct. 10, 1933 MacNeill et a1 May 18, 1937 Gilbert Sept. 5, 1944 McCloskey Sept. 26, 1950 McKenzie June 12, 1951 

